A power analysis of international assistance to Lithuanian forestry

Based on a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews, the international assistance to Lithuanian forestry during the 1990s is examined from a power perspective. Direct power analysis reveals a skewed power balance in the decision-making arena where recipients play a reactive role. Indirect power is exerted through a limited involvement of actors in project identification and preparation as well as through poor implementation of assistance goals. Consciousness controlling power manifests itself in the recipients' perception of environmental issues in forestry impelled by the donor agenda. The three mentioned power dimensions are embedded in structural power, which stipulates unreflective acceptance of values, norms and institutional culture. Recommendations for modified approaches to assistance are provided, with an emphasis on the capacity development paradigm.